


Two Sides of One Coin

by Artsy_Lad



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, BAMF Tony Stark, Brainwashing, Bucky Barnes & Winter Soldier are Different Personalities, Bucky Barnes Recovering, First Marvel fic, Gen, Hurt James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Hydra (Marvel), Hydra Tony Stark, Identity Issues, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Implied/Referenced Torture, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Memory Loss, Mutant Tony Stark, Not Canon Compliant, Not Steve Friendly, POV Multiple, Redemption, Tags May Change, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2020-05-19 06:26:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19351327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artsy_Lad/pseuds/Artsy_Lad
Summary: It has been two years since Anthony Edward Stark went missingIt's been two years since he was last seen in that caveIt's been two years and suddenly Hydra makes a moveHydra births The Mechanic, but he was a gift from the dear captain, wasn't he?-or-Tony Stark was kidnapped in Siberia and has become the next Winter Soilder





	1. Emerge

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> First things First! This is my first ever Marvel Fic, so if I write a character a little too ooc please tell me! I'd really appreciate it,  
> Second, this universe is a little different from our canon MCU, hence the Hydra thing. That being said, Infinity War never happen and I don't know if I'll be adding it. Another thing, the Avengers are a bit different and I'll explain a bit more in the end notes!
> 
> So, without further ado! Please enjoy. :)

_**“It’s been two years since our superhero showdown titled, Civil War; and there is still no update to the missing case of the infamous Anthony Edward Stark. After getting into a fight with his teammates, the billionaire suddenly disappeared, seemingly without a trace.”** _

_“Обратить внимание Asset”  
“Forgive me Sir.” _

_**“Two years going strong with our new team of avengers, most are displeased that former fugitives Rouge Avengers have been allowed back to join the new team. Many are uneasy to have the rogues back, especially with Tony Stark, still missing. Many rumors suggest the rogues have something to do with the playboy’s disappearance.”** ___

_____“Report Mission Objective.”_  
“Objective; Take out target no matter what.”  
“Who is your target?”  
“Thaddeus Ross.”  
"Отлично, Hail.”  
“Hydra.” 

___**“Thaddeus Ross is holding a conference later today to discuss how well the team has been holding up this year and to address the disappearance of Mr. Stark. The Avengers and Ms. Virginia “Pepper” Potts will be present. They will disclose if they will continue with th- “** _ _ _

__“FRI, turn that off please.”_ _

___“Of Course, Ms. Potts”_ _ _

__Rhodey turned around to see a calm Pepper, giving him a disapproving look. Rhodey sighed and rubbed his face and turned around back at the black screen. “Jim you’ve been re-watching the news articles over and over again. I’m getting worried dear.” She said softly as she slowly moved closer to him. Her heels clicking softly against the tile, she sat down next to him. “Watching them again is just going to make you sad again.” She stated, placing a soft comforting hand on his arm. He didn’t remove it and just sighed weakly. “I know, I just hate this.” He admitted, voice barely above a whisper. Pepper gave a tight-lipped sad smile in understanding._ _

__It had been exactly two and a half years, 30 months, and 912.501 days since Tony had gone missing. Rhodey still couldn’t believe it some days, a part of himself broke when he learned the news. He felt so lost at this point, he was paralyzed from the waist down, his best friend and brother had disappeared after going on a mission with Rogers and Barnes. He held so much distrust towards Rogers when he came clean to what really went down, actually, no. When Barnes came forward and told the truth, apparently Steve left some serious information out of his story. Rhodey felt so disgusted in himself and in Rogers, he should’ve stepped in when the Avengers started treating Tony like shit years ago, but he didn’t. Sometimes he wonders if Tony just couldn’t take the shit he keeps having to deal with and left, Rhodey wouldn’t blame him for it. Sometimes he fears the worst, how could he not? Tony, oh his sweet brother, was left alone in the cold for hours in a dead suit, in a Hydra base. It may have been abandoned but god, he has nightmares thinking of the worse, it’s so easy._ _

__“Not a day goes by I don’t miss him, sometimes I find myself missing the most annoying things if it only meant he was back…” He admitted, moving his arm so he can take her hand and intertwine it with his. “I would settle for five minutes of him yelling at me, just to hear him again.. to know he’s okay.” Pepper squeezed his hand with a watery look in her eyes.  
“You’re not alone, I wish for that too, pray for it even.” She paused, clearing her throat. “It’s wrong of me, but sometimes..” She choked up. “Sometimes I hope he’s dead, so he- “She shudders. “So, he can finally be at peace, so he doesn’t have to deal with anyone anymore.” She admits and Rhodey tightly squeezes her hand comfortingly. “I know,” He whispers. “I know what you mean, I get it, he honestly deserves it, a moment of rest… even in the form of death. He never got a wink of peace, did he? He always had something to do, people to please.” He shook his head._ _

__They often do this, sit together and discuss their darkest fears over his disappearance and confide in each other. They sit in silence for a few minutes just holding each other, squeezing tightly as if the other would disappear from the others sight.  
Pepper was the first to break their little session, she sighed and wiped her tears away. She stood slowly and fixed her appearance and put on her professional face, not letting emotions show. If someone saw her red rimmed eyes, no one would comment on it. Rhodey rubbed his face and unclasped the lock on his chair. Pepper nodded to him and started pushing his wheelchair out the lab and into the elevator. _ _

__“FRIDAY, please take us to the lobby, and inform Happy were on our way.”_ _

___“Of course, Miss Potts. I hope it goes well, Miss.”_ Her voice had such melancholic tone to it, Pepper would’ve taken a double take. But she simply nodded and thanked the AI with a smile. Ever since her creator’s disappearance she’s shown more sorrowful emotions with the pair. A part of Pepper thinks the AI might be feeling guilty over Tony’s disappearance and it makes Pepper’s heart tug sadly. While FRIDAY showed more emotions towards her, Rhodey and Happy, she makes herself sound as robotically as she could addressing the rouges. She held a professional tone with the other avengers though and had been pleasant towards them._ _

__Pepper sighed and shook her head softly, preparing herself for another press conference, it was going to be a long day._ _

__The duo had made it downstairs and settled into the car, the drive was 15 minutes long and they prepped each other with questions. The press conference started without hitch and all the avengers acted calmly in front of the public, answering each question that got thrown respectfully, harboring any unnecessary information away. The reports calmed down as Ross got up to the podium, addressing the crowd. Once they were quiet, he had started talking to them._ _

__**“As you all can see the Avengers are doing well, and are bonding together nicely. It is their best intent to get along to work together to protect the public. In other news, we would also like to address the Iron Man situation. Two years ago, he had gone missing and not along after the Rouges were pardoned after the New Avengers institute was put into motion by Colonel James Rhodes and then approved by the UN.”** _ _

__**“The two-year grace period had ended and the avengers have gotten along well enough to keep them going, and so were going to have to put Mr. Stark’s search on hold since the avengers are now active. We will still be looking out for him and having some members going on any leas, but we cannot prioritize his search over the public.”** _ _

_____“Target spotted.”_  
"You know what to do Mechanic.”  
“Objective; Take out Target at all costs. Calculating best course of action.”  
“Course Chosen, Hail Hydra.” 

__The crowd erupted in screams while the Avengers jumped to their feet, ushering the public to safety. In the mist of chaos, no one could hear Ross’s body hit the floor, no one could see the satisfied solider leave the scene._ _

___**“Thaddeus Ross Shot and Killed during Avengers board meeting! What was supposed to be a comforting meeting ensuring our safety, turned to be a nightmare showing us that even with our protectors we are never 100% safe!”** _ _ _

___**“Outrage in New York, Thaddeus Ross shot and killed during Avenger conference in front of hundreds. Who is responsible for this brutal crime? The Avengers aren’t making any forward comments at the moment but we should be expecting one very soon. Is New York as safe as it seems?”** _ _ _

____“The public will never see us coming. Your plan worked like a charm.”__  
“It’s all thanks to our Asset, The Mechanic is our best weapon yet.”  
"Отлично! He shall be better than that traitorous Winter Solider, yes?”  
“Absolutely.”  
“Good. Reward the Mechanic.”  
“Copy that. Hail Hydra.”  
“Hail Hydra indeed.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Обратить внимание (pay attention)  
> Отлично (Excellent)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)


	2. Consequence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flash back to when the rouges were pardoned, and Pepper reprimands them.
> 
> Team cap face some consequences

Upon receiving news on the pardons that would bring the rouge’s back to the states had been accepted, Steve had been ecstatic to head back home. T’Challa had entered the hut that he provided them on the edge of Wakanda and explained that they soon would be leaving. He gave minimal information but the news still gave the rogue’s something to look forward too. The king had explained that Bucky would be leaving with them and would be awoken soon and they’d be able to spend some time with him before they left. He also stated in three hours two jets would be arriving for there departure. Steve asked why they would need two jets to take them back and the king had explained Bucky had to have a separate jet take him back and be escorted by guards to keep himself and anyone else safe.  
Steve wasn’t happy about it but he didn’t protest, they had been accepted back into the states with these rules so he’ll take it. The King had welcomed Sargent Barnes warmly when he woke up and had gifted him a new arm to send him off his travels. Steve was astonished to see the new arm and had thanked T’Challa and congratulated Bucky on it. He had been happy to see Bucky again even if he did act a bit differently, and when the jets landed Steve tried to not be too mad when he got cuffed and was escorted onto his own jet. Steve had been a bit reluctant to go on his jet but a comforting hand from Sam washed away his hesitance. They were going home and he was happy to just enjoy the ride, he although, was not expecting to see Ms. Pepper Potts sitting in the pilot seat, watching their movements as they climbed aboard. She explained how she thought it would be easier if they had a familiar face welcomed them back.

_“Why couldn’t Mr. Stark welcome us back himself?” Sam asked, giving Pepper an odd stare. She just turned away and focused on flying them back. “Did Stark even change the accords while we were gone Miss Potts?” Sam tried again politely and she looked at him, quiet for a few minutes. “You all have been pardoned back to help us make changes to the accords to make them more sign-able and get rid of Ross.” She carefully dodged. They didn’t deserve to know about Tony’s disappearance, they caused this to happen. Sam nodded and leaned back in his chair while Steve cocked his head. “Wait, I thought we were coming back because you realized the Accords were bad.”_

_“I didn’t say that all, I thought T’Challa explained this to you all.” She turned, a neutral mask in place. “We welcomed you back so we can change the accords so they can protect super’s, mutants, Inhumans, hybrids, etc. Our plan was to agree with them only to use them to get dirt on Ross and protect heroes. Didn’t Tony explain this?” She gave him a challenging look that made him shrink. “Oh wait, he tried, you just didn’t want to listen. Wanda was being imprisoned and of course he was in the wrong for siding with the government.” Wanda stiffened, looking over at him with a frown._

_“He did imprison her! He held her against her will!” She looked him in the eye and he almost choked at the fire in her eyes. “No, he put her on house arrest because she isn’t a US Citizen and if she set foot outside, she would get deported. No, he put her on house arrest because she was in danger. Did that ever occur to you he did it for her safety?” She questioned. “There were protests against her, signs for her to be killed outside the gate. She was with Hydra; everyone wanted her head on a silver platter Steve. It wasn’t Tony’s fault she felt like a trapped animal in open compound housed for her safety.” Sam looked up in alarm._

_“There were protests?” He asked in surprise. Pepper didn’t even spare him a glance as she locked eyes with Wanda. “You are aware that Clint has been mind-controlled before, right? He helped someone almost take over New York, he was a danger to the public in this time. Wanda over here did the same to multiple avengers making them threats to the public and she was working with a psychotic murder bot to take over the world, and the cherry on top, she willingly went and worked for Hydra. She isn’t favored at all in the US.” Wanda felt small under her gaze and looked down in shame as she listed her wrong doings. She knew what she had done was wrong, truth is; she was willing to become better and she’s hoping to make It right. She is even willing to forgive Stark, maybe even hear his side of what happened with her parents. It wasn’t fair of her to blame him without hearing him, but she still resented the billionaire to a degree. Maybe they could start over, not as friends but as teammates at least._

_“Tony wasn’t locking her up for the hell of it, he was keeping her safe while he cleared her name. But of course, instead of being thankful, she smashes Vision through 58 floors. Vision isn’t too pleased with you Ms. Maximoff and expects an apology when you arrive. He volunteered to keep you company and you betrayed him when he showed his concern and only wanted the best for you.” Wanda nodded weakly, she really wished she hadn’t done that to Vision._

_“Don’t you think your being a little hard on he- “Pepper turned back to Steve and silenced him with one look. “She is an adult Mister Rogers; she can handle herself just fine. And even if she was a child, she needs to face her consequences, it’s the responsible thing to do.” Steve wanted to argue and defend Wanda but he thought against it. It would make Pepper more agitated and the look Wanda threw his way made him stay quiet._

_“Mister Barton and Miss Romanov will be at the compound and after our meeting with two new avengers they’d be glad to see the lot of you.” Pepper explained, checking the coordinates quickly before continuing. “Barton is no longer an avenger since he is now in retirement, if he decides to change his mind he would have to be voted back on the team.”  
“In other news, Mister Wilson me and Colonel Rhodes had done all we could to get your crimes excused and if you spend approximately 8 weeks on probation and 2 months of being benched from all avengers activity, that is if you continue being one, then you won’t be charged and you can continue being the Falcon without much complaint.” Sam froze and nodded, he totally forgotten he had stolen the falcon wings from the government without a second thought to help out Steve. God that was a stupid idea and he should’ve thought that out._

_“Pepper if you do- ““Call me Ms. Potts please.” She corrected; he winced but nodded, he needed to regain her trust. “Ms. Potts can you tell me how Scott, Clint and Natasha are doing?” Steve hoped they were doing well; Scott had turned himself in as soon as he could not wanting to disappoint his daughter. Natasha didn’t feel right being a Rouge after hearing what went down in Siberia and turned herself in. Natasha felt they handled the whole accord situation all wrong and it escalated in a bad way so she stayed behind.  
Pepper nodded, turning back around. “Scott is on house arrest for 6 months for helping fugitives and stealing property but he shall be allowed to join the avengers again if he is given access by Mr. Hank Pym, and does 4 extra months of probation.” She paused. “Natasha is currently being confined to the compound and if she is approved to be an avenger, she has to wait 9 months, and she has to be overseen by the team captains. She will not be allowed to leave the compound until her time is up. Barton had been excused of his crimes for assisting in Germany on behalf of his wife stating he will no longer be a superhero and he would be returning to civilian life but he was put on house arrest for 4 months, only being allowed out the house with his family and/or an officer.”_

_She suddenly turned again. “Speaking of which, that reminds me. Miss Maximoff you will not allowed to be an active member of the avengers until you get a better grip on your powers. We have many places you can go to for help with them, and we are still working on getting you citizenship so you have to stay in the compound until then, please to comply this time.” Wanda nodded, sighing. “This will be further continued at the compound but if you use your powers against your teammates you will be suspended from the team. If any of you lash out or cause intentional harm at your teammates, you will be suspended or drafted.”  
Pepper looked at them threateningly with her last words, and everyone held their breath. “We will not being having another ‘Civil War’. If you have a problem, handle it like an adult and talk it out.” Her voice held no room for argument as she glared at them. She turned back around and pulled out a Stark pad. She started to do some work and everyone felt uneasy, they were expecting everything to just go back to normal when they arrived but that clearly wasn’t the case. A thought occurred to Steve while he tried to catch his bearings that arose some questions._

_“Will anyone be taking over for Clint?”_

_Pepper paused and he swore he could hear her cursing very faintly under her breathe, she sighed and turned in her chair once again. “Jesus Christ, where any of you listening to T’Challa when he explained your situation?” Sam coughed, while Wanda rubbed his neck. Pepper sighed again shaking her head. “So that’s a no, alright. I’m going to explain this once, and if you don’t agree to it you can take this jet and go anywhere else except the US because these are the conditions you agreed to come back to, understood?” Several murmurs of approval made her nod._

_“Good. The lot of you have been pardoned under the New Avengers Intuitive, which means you will be evaluated and looked over so you can join a new team of avengers. This intuitive has been made so we could still have defenders against whatever threats come our way. In your absence we recruited more heroes to help in your absence and to continue to work alongside you. We are also training young heroes to help them with their powers so when they are old enough, they can choose if they will become heroes or not. The Avengers are changing to keep the public safe and so we can take down Ross, if you don’t one or more of your new teammates take it up with the council. That being said, you lot are no longer the only avengers and we have a huge team waiting back for you at the compound and please try to work with them.” She explained slowly and respectfully, giving them a challenging look whenever someone tried to interrupt._

_They sat there trying to digest this new information. So, they were no longer the only avengers, and the team got bigger while they were gone. Well, the public needed some form of protection so, that’s good. Steve sighed and leaned back in his chair as Pepper went back to work. This flight suddenly felt like it got, ten hours longer._

The moment they were off the plane they were escorted by some new avengers to a conference room. A man with a cape and a blonde woman greeted them politely and asked them to follow them to discuss the new rules of the compound. Once they were all seated, they started the meeting.

“Good Afternoon Rouges, I hope your flight was nice.” The woman said politely. “I do believe introductions are in order. My name is Carol Danvers, I’m a pilot for the US Airforce. My superhero name is Captain Marvel.” She explained while opening up a file. After a few beats of silence, she elbowed the man next to her and he sighed. “Good Evening, my name is Doctor Stephen Strange, and I work with the Mystic of the Arts. My superhero name is Sorcerer Supreme.” He studied them for a minute, his gaze tearing into them. He suddenly turned away and opened his own file, reading it with a disinterested face. He wasn’t going to say it out loud but the man distinctly reminded Steve of Tony.

“Well I’ll go first then! My name is Steve Rogers, and I’m Captain America.” He explained, Danvers nodded, watching the rogues as they each stated their names. Strange finally looked up after Wanda said her name. “You’re Miss Maximoff?” He questioned and she sat up straight. “Yes, what of it?” She challenged and he rolled his eyes. “Calm down, I only ask because Ms. Potts has mentioned you before to me. She asked if I could give you some assistance with your magic, and if you accepted, I’d be happy to accept.” He explained, looking back at his file, flipping a page. Wanda squinted at him and the group watched as her fingertips turned red as she gazed at the man. He suddenly snapped his gaze towards her and flicked his wrist and the red disappeared and she gasped. “What did you- ““This is why this meeting is in order, Miss Maximoff it is against the rules to read your teammates minds without their consent. This is only a warning since you didn’t know, but please don’t let this happen again.” He replied, locking eyes with her. Wanda nodded, feeling bad all of a sudden. His gaze softened and he looked at the file. “Once this meeting is over, I do believe you have a visitor.” He was referring to Vision and Wanda felt her stomach twist into nerves.

“Well, I do believe we should start this meeting then. Shall we?” Danvers asked with a smile.

_“Have you heard?”_  
_“Yes, I have. The Rouges have been pardoned.”_  
_“We should strike once the Grace period ends.”_  
_“Will the Asset be ready then?”_  
_“Oh definitely.”_  
_“Good, I expect the best. We cannot have another failure.”_  
_“I will not let you down, he shall be our best weapon yet.”_  
_“He better. It would not be wise to waste our gift from the captain.”_  
_“Of course not.”_  
_“Good. Hail Hydra.”_  
_“Hail Hydra ma'am.”_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick Fury isn't happy, the Hydra Twins are formed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are flashbacks or Mechanic talking to his Handler  
> Bold is the winter soldier

The Mechanic cleaned up the muzzle of his gun and packed up his things in something close to pride. His mission was completed, he had successfully taken out the target and didn’t leave a trace behind. Thaddeus Ross had been successfully taken out. He quickly scaled down the building and entered the van waiting for him.   
“Asset, report Mission status.”  
“Mission Report; Target was taken out without interference. Asset wasn’t seen and took out all recording devices in advance.”  
“Very good. You did well Mechanic.”  
“Thank you, Sir.”  
The van took off while The Mechanic looked out the window and into the sea of panicking people. He stared at the heroes ushering everyone away, something tingled in the back of the Mechanic’s head. He felt himself glitch as he felt like he remembered something, something he couldn’t place. He stared as long as he could before they disappeared out of sight and of mind. He couldn’t focus on the enemy, he had to prepare for his next mission.  
Rebooting. Asset ready to Comply.

Nicholas J. Fury was like his name, Furious and on a warpath.  
He had started Shield up again and kept it under wraps from the public. He oversaw every recruit and did extensive research on each agent, new and old, running multiple background checks and testing their loyalty. While rebuilding his organization he started keeping tabs on possible threats and scouting for new heroes. He had helped Tony Stark scout for New Avengers and looked out for super powered teens who needed training, a home or assistance on missions. He had wanted to look out for the kids who got powers and didn’t know to use them or used them recklessly. Tony had been all on aboard with this plan and funded the new organization to get them started again and get the proper resources.

Fury had been incredibly thankful for his help, even if he only showed some it for the man. Fury had an odd relationship with the billionaire and he would never admit it aloud but he had grown fond over the man over the years. He had always kept an eye out for him out while he was a kid, since he had known his father when he was merely an agent. He had grown a bit fatherly towards him but he’d never admit it. Which is why he almost shot Captain Rogers on sight. He was beyond pissed when he discovered the disappearance of the genius and threw his phone against the wall cursing Rogers and Barnes profusely. When they had been pardoned back into the states, he made sure his dislike in the two very clear for making one of his little agents vanish like that.

Fury grew more and more fearful for the well being of Tony with each passing month and decided he need to do something to ease his mind before he ends up putting a cap in Cap. He pulled a Stark and buried himself in work, recruiting new trainee’s and agents left and right while keeping an eye out for Tony at the same time. While working on making Shield better, he found the resurrected and very alive Phil Coulson and made him into an agent. After he resurrected him back in 2012, he had told him to take some time off and rest and have a life, but with the fall of Shield and then the uprising again made him call him back in. He wasn’t going to admit it, but he was planning on making Coulson director once he retired. Still, he welcomed him back to Shield along with Maria and informed them on his new plan to make this organization better than what it formally was. With their helped they went and scouted old reliable agents and he finally had some distraction for his fears.

That is until Hydra makes an appearance for the first time in two years and every base they’ve taken down with the help of Romanov and Barnes came back to bite him in the ass. (They’ve run into the ex-assassins’ multiple times and received their assistance.) How the fuck did they mange to slip under his radar like that? Well he suspected Hydra was behind the attack, it could explain how well it was done and wrapped up so efficiently. He started a new file to monitor any new movements by them and knew what he had to do first. In matter of a few hours he had flown into New York from Canada and was knocking on The Avengers door. The mess of a team that awaited him made him seriously question that disaster of a press conference. He had called in advance to warn Pepper and for her to call a mandatory meeting and gave her a nice greeting. Walking into the board room only to see severely exhausted and snappy heroes wasn’t all too pleasant, not that he cared. He sat down at the head of the table at got straight into business.

He explained everything to them, SHIELD’s reformation, what they’ve been doing, possible threats, suspects on who administrated the attack, Coulson, etc. He explained it slowly and thoroughly not missing anything causing a thick tension to cover the room like a blanket. Many were pissed at the new information, some confused yet upset, some looked angry and sick to their stomach as he explained. Barnes had up and left as soon as Fury started to provide enough evidence to his theory while Romanov looked ready to gut someone. Soon the meeting was over and he thanked them for their time while they thanked him for the leads. He nodded; his mission had been done. Fury walked out the compound in stride, he was going to get to the bottom of this, and on top of it he was going to find Tony if it was the last thing he did.  
Nicholas J. Fury was on a warpath.

James was beyond upset after that horrendous and distressing meeting with the; apart current director of Shield. He knew Fury was up to something since he had helped taking down some bases, but he didn’t know much about Shield at the time and didn’t expect him to have a whole organization under his belt. Two weeks since he had gotten back to the states, he had a reunion with the widow and they had their own suspicious just like Fury. Which is why the fact that Hydra was back shouldn’t be so alarming except for the fact that they’ve been trying their hardest to end it and thought they were doing fine. Now they were several steps behind since there’s a high chance Hydra’s has just been throwing them off their tails. While he was wallowing in his anger Natalia had appeared by the door, rage freezing over her body as she watched him pace the room. She recalls there first meeting when he was better mentally and allowed back into the states, she had been blunt on her intentions and confined in him.

_He had just gotten out of therapy when he heard the soft pitter patter of bare footsteps behind him. He tried to remain oblivious and unthreatening as he could. They had been only back for 3 days, even if was doing well in therapy most of the other avengers were very wary of him. The footsteps go closer as he started to make himself a cup of tea. He put the water on the stove and let it boil on low, he pulled out some raspberry tea and a mug. The footsteps stopped but he heard someone breathing near the floor so he stayed alert and went to grab some plums._

_“Barnes.”_

_The super solider tensed. He didn’t need to turn to know who it was, he silently cursed as Winter tried to make an appearance._

_**‘Она опасна’ No she isn’t.** You need to calm down_

_**‘Она сделает одно неверное движение, и я отрежу ей руку.’** Noted._

_“Natalia.” He responds carefully as he turns to her. She was leaning against the door frame, dressed in fuzzy pajama bottoms and a simple gray tee-shirt. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she studied him, her gaze blank and calculating. She kept her body relaxed probably to see nonthreatening but he knew what she was capable of. He for one should know, he taught it to her._

_“So, you do remember me?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He nodded, grabbing his plums and putting them in a bowl. He gathered some sugar and put it near his mug, turning back to her. “You were always the best; how could I forget the Black Widow.” He stated, recalling their training sessions in the Red Room. It was always brutal and tough; Winter would break her down and make her build herself up again to redo it all again. She made a humming noise as she watched him check the water temperature. “I feel like we should chat.” She said suddenly. He hummed while carefully pouring the water into his mug. He put the tea bag in along with some honey and sugar while he stirred it. “What would we be discussing Natalia?”_

_“I know you murdered Tony’s parents.” His blood suddenly turned ice cold; this wasn’t at all how expected this to go. He slowly turned to her, watching her warily. “How do you know?”_

_She watched him for a minute, before sighing. “I know it wasn’t your choice. I read your files from Shield and me and Steve found out around the time we found you.” She paused, giving him an odd look. “That’s why you three had your fight isn’t it.” She whispered looking down. It wasn’t a question, more like she was confirming something to herself. Her face shifted for a second and then went back to neutral, but he could see the rage behind her eyes. “He promised me he would, what the fuck was he thinking.” She hissed silently and he could already tell who she was talking about. He sighed and turned off the stove moving his mug to the table, then moving his bowl as well._

_“Has anyone told you?” She asked. The Widow finally moved from her post, she stalked to the table and sat across from him, giving him his space. He blew on his tea and took a tentative sip, the warm fruity taste making him sigh in relief. He cocks an eyebrow at her, urging her to go on as he takes a bite into a plum. She sighed shaking her head gently. “Steve you’re a lovable idiot, and sometimes I wonder.” She muttered._

_“James, Tony didn’t return to Siberia. You and Steve were the last people to see him.”_

_Natasha watched in surprise as James split boiling hot tea, choked on his plum and started cursing frantically 14 different language. She handed him a napkin as he calmed down, he thanked her and wiped down the table surface. Once he wiped it down and calmed his cough, he looked over to her looking at her questioningly for a minute. Once he was certain she wasn’t lying he sighed and slumped in his chair. “Jesus Christ…” He shook his head, trailing off. She hummed and reached over slowly grabbing a plum and biting into it. “Yeah, and I have a suspicion I really don’t like and want to discuss it with you. And I also would like to discuss a proposition”  
Dread creeped into his stomach as he sighed, he took a long sip of his tea and nodded. This was indeed going to be a long chat. _

James’ groan had cut her out of her own thoughts and she watched as the solider slump into a chair, sighing as he bent over. She studied him for a minute, his walls were down and she watched as he bounced his leg up and run his hands through his hair. He sighed and leaned back up staring at her, dread painted over his face as he rubbed his hands together. “This puts us about five feet behind where we thought we were.” He huffed, turning away from her to glare at the table. She nodded, the extent of the situation really settling in. Fury froze over her bones as she sighed, this was going to be a mess. After sitting down and thinking of their next move, the assassins had agreed their first plan of action was to find Fury and get as much information they could and up their tabs. They weren’t just going to sit back and let this setback detour their mission, Hydra is going down, if it is the last thing they did. They were going to take back what they took from them and make them pay, so what if the water turned red.

_“Soldat.”_  
“Yes Sir?”  
“Your mission was exceptional and you have been assigned a new one.”  
“Asset is ready to comply.”  
“Good, be ready by 2130 hours, you roll out and strike at 2200 hours.”  
“Yes Sir.”  
“Hail Hydra.”  
“Hail Hydra.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if i were to add relationships who would you guys like to see together?
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)
> 
> translations  
> "shes a threat"  
> "She makes one wrong move and I'll cut her hand off"


	4. Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor violence up ahead  
> Just giving a slight warning
> 
> Mechanic meets someone new

It was exactly 10 o’ clock when the Mechanic had left the base. He had received word on his mission objective and target and got ready. He had suited up and gathered his necessary gear and rode out on a motorbike. He had found the fastest route to get to his location, and rode out as soon as he could. Once he was out, he took in the sights around him in odd fascination. It was way brighter than he was used, the city was alive a night unlike anything he has ever seen. Mechanic liked how colorful it was but he wasn’t fond of how loud everything was. Cars honked as he drove past, people yelling all around him, tires screeching and people hustling along, he disliked it. The lights were bright and distracting so he turned into a duller street and rerouted. He huffed; he didn’t have time to focus on the environment of his mission. All that mattered was to complete the mission, not some glitching. He turned down a road filled with apartments, and parked in an alleyway a few blocks away near his target. 

The Mechanic quickly neared his target on foot, climbing the fire escape near silently and stopping on the fifth floor. He looked into the window of his location and picked the lock off. Once it was open, he slipped into the room silently. The apartment was dark, a light emitting from the room down the hall. He observed the room gathering information his target, the apartment was a messy rustic style. He stalked near the hallway and leaned against the wall, using his heightened hearing. The target was washing their hands in the bathroom and the tv was on in the next room. He could smell something in the room with the tv but couldn’t tell what it was. He could tell it wasn’t dangerous and started calculating his actions. Once he found the best course he stealthily sneaked through the hallway to the bedroom, he easily slipped into the room and quickly scanned it. The room was messy and he quickly hid in the closet. After he closed the door silently his target walked into the room.

The woman had entered the room, fixing her shirt as she turned off the lights and climbed into her bed. She had grabbed a box and started food from it and focused on the television. Ashley Campbell had been his target; the woman had been a reporter who got Dr. Sokolov fired before she was recruited to Hydra. Dr. Sokolov had been working in mutant health and experimentation and tested serums to see how safe they were, the reporter had proved that the doctor’s methods and experiments had been too dangerous and experimental. Mechanic would disagree with the reporter’s statement; the doctor’s work was marvelous and she’s made wonderful soldiers. It’s not her fault Mechanic was one of the few that survived. He watched her, the woman was far too relaxed to know he was here, she was vulnerable which was perfect for Mechanic. 

The closet door slowly opened as he stealthily left his post, he creeped up towards her. She luckily didn’t notice and focused on the television in front of her. Once he was close enough, he picked a pillow off the ground and walked near the bed behind her. Once in place he quickly grabbed her shoulders and yanked her down, shoving the pillow above her head, muffling her shouts of protests as he pulled his gun out of its holster. She clawed at his arms but he didn’t pay any mind as he held her down and cocked the gun and pressed it against the pillow and pulled the trigger. He held it there for a minute, watching as her arms fall limp and the blood ooze out and stain the sheets sticky red. He stood straight and put his gun back, satisfied his job had been done. He was thankful for his gloves as he opened her hand up and placed the gun into her palm, placing her index finger on the trigger. He grabbed the pillow and quickly made his escape, once he was out the apartment, he burned the pillow.

Once satisfied he made his way back to his bike, ready to report his mission to his Handler. However, a few blocks into his walk he heard noises shuffling above and slowed down, trying to figure out what it was. He halted completely when he realized someone was following him, from above. He tensed as he heard someone curse and jump down in front of him, he quickly scanned the man. The stalker was clad in a red leather armored outfit, he could easily pinpoint where the weapons were hidden on him. Mechanic relaxed his posture to seem nonthreatening and cleared his throat. “May I help you?”

“You smell of blood and gunpowder, you okay young man?” The man asked and Mechanic stiffened. His senses must’ve been heightened, interesting. The man seemed to be unsure how to approach sense Mechanic noticed how tense he had been. “Don’t worry Sir, I was caught up in a fight. I’m on my way home.” He easily lied. The man didn’t seem like a threat, but Mechanic wasn’t going to stay and figure that out. His handler did not like it when he was late, and he didn’t need to speak to this man anyway. “I’ll be on my way now.” 

“You sound like someone I once knew, but he went missing a few years back.” The man mumbled to himself, he looked back up with a hard look in his clear eyes. “I can tell your lying kid, what happened?” This caused the Mechanic to squint at the man, what type of mutant was he? He was holding him up and his Handler would not be pleased. “It doesn’t concern you sir. Please let me head on my way.” The man opened his mouth but Mechanic wasn’t sticking around and just moved past him. He kept alert to make sure he wasn’t followed. Thankfully the mutant went the other way seemingly not interested in Mechanic no more. Just to be safe Mechanic took a took a different route back to his base, ready to report to his Handler. 

 

“Hey, I think I got a lead.” Matt stared down at the deceased reporter as he called Hope. That kid’s scent was present, but there wasn’t a single trace of him. “It might not be the same guy but it’s worth checking out.” He admitted, recalling his voice. He was thrown of when he heard it, it was young like a high schooler, but what caused him to freeze is how much he sounded like Tony Stark, but younger. He had smelled strongly of distress, fear, blood and gunpowder so Matt had gone to check on him. It didn’t help he heard a muffled gunshot when he was on patrol. But the kid’s heart rate proved him to be calm and he didn’t sound afraid. He sounded life-less and he stopped when Matt silently jumped over a building.

What threw him off is underneath the smell of blood the kids natural scent smelt like it had been stripped from him like he had been cleaned too well. He smelt like a hospital, sterile and bare and it made Matt uncomfortable. He knew something was off, and he got his answer when he walked towards where heard the gunshot only to smell overwhelming amounts of fresh blood. Fuck he could be dealing a detached serial killer who was barely out of high school. He sighed, telling Hope he’d be coming in tomorrow. He called the cops and made his exist, hoping this didn’t run deeper than what it already was.  
Meanwhile on the other side of the city, Mechanic had called in to report to his Handler, feeling a warmth spread through him at his awaited rewards. He did good once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just saw Spider-Man FFH and, honestly??? Marvel can fight me, I did not ask for this personal attack. I am currently deceased and will be suing from my grave.  
> The movie was so good! Like it had such a good mix of comedy and real talk, and thAT MID CREDIT SCENE SENT ME, IM NOTOKAY!  
> I will not be spoiling for anyone, but god, I recommend seeing it man!
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)


	5. Appear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get intresting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for blood

It had been raining when Matt had arrived at the Avengers compound. Despite not having the ability to see he could drive a car decently, but instead of confusing the shit out of everyone he had Froggy drive him. Wade had insisted but Matt actually valued his life and would like to keep it. Matt was also feeling very unsettled after his encounter with that kid, there was something wrong with that guy. Matt had done research on the reporter who was killed and found tons of articles that could’ve gotten her enemies. The ones that stuck out the most was how she got a doctor who had conduction dangerous and possibly illegal experiments on mutants, fired. The doctor would later be found guilty and arrested only to find she disappeared two months prior in New Jersey without a trace, it looked like she had been kidnapped and not a fugitive. Matt knew how evil corrupt people could get, and the fact that Hydra had been up in the air Matt had an inkling that this may be connected.

Once the car stopped, he made his way out and stepped in the elevator and asked Friday to take him to his desired floor with a polite greeting. He decided he was only to tell a handful of people, just in case he was just a large coincidence and just some crazy kid. He was going to tell the Hydra twins since they know Hydra all too well, Fury, Hope, (he and her are close friends) and Rhodey. He knew if by crazy chance that kid was a de-aged Tony Stark, he’d know. He sighed as he smoothed out his shirt as the elevator stopped and he walked to a conference room they were going to be using. He had a feeling this was going to be a very interesting chat.

He had arrived a bit earlier than the others but he paid it no mind when they came tumbling in, once they were all settled, he had got straight to the point. He explained what had happened last night and how the woman’s killer could be associated with Hydra. He explained the most likely suspect being a doctor she had gotten fired and then the woman disappeared without a trace. Talked about how she was a dangerous scientist who had studied mutant biology and preformed hazardous experiments on them. How she could have potentially been offered a job with Hydra and has been helping them with some sick projects they wanted done. 

Then he got to the blank slate kid who had been at the crime scene, far too odd to just be a regular hit and run assassin. Had no emotion in his voice, walked tall and straight with purpose yet robotically, how his smell was barren and all over the victim’s apartment. The smell of the victim’s blood trailed him while the stench of gunpowder clung to him, which he explained the woman died of a gunshot. It looked like a suicide but he was 87% sure it was just a cover up, a clever one. He could tell with the information he was providing on the doctor and the suspected kid the hydra twins weren’t feeling too happy. Barnes had been cussing while Romanoff rapped her knuckles against the table in anger.  
He then got into his suspicion; he knew this would raise a few eyebrows even if he couldn’t see them. He explained the odd familiarity aura that was carried with him and how his voice had sounded like his but younger. Rhodey being a good person, bless him, had handed Matt a video with a younger Tony speaking and he knew he had heard right. This kid sounded just like Tony when he was younger, curse his lack of sight. He could’ve probably identified if the kid was just a coincidence or the actual reincarnation/hydra experiment of Tony. He confirmed to Rhodey of what he heard and he could the simultaneous sound of multiple sighs and curses. He realized with a pang that everyone in this room, mostly excluding himself, had been connected with Tony in some sort of way and he had just given them false morbid hope.   
This was going to bite him in the ass later, he just knows it.

 

Over the next course weeks, more and more deaths pop all over the city without explanation and even some in Jersey, Vermont, D.C, and New Hampshire. The body count was rising and the rumors began, whoever was behind this was good which did not settle well with the public or Avengers. The public dubbed the killer as The Ghost, since their wasn't a trace of them. Pepper was stressed out to the max, being the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company while also being a backup Avenger sucked and she didn’t have Tony’s help anymore and it got her down sometimes. No matter what though, she always prevailed, she knew deep down Tony would be exceptionally proud of her. She kicked anyone’s ass, board members, competing companies, cat-callers, the press and as of late bad guys. She was Virginia Pepper Potts and she was going to stand tall in even in the face of an open fire, no matter what. But not even Tony or Rhodey could prepare her for what she was going to witness during a trip to SI in Rome.

Pepper slumped into her couch, rubbing her face gently as she sighed. She had finally gotten a chance to rest during her trip to Rome. She had to taken a fourteen-hour flight to clear up some horrible incident. She had checked in on the SI in Rome to make sure everyone was doing okay after another employee had been murdered in front of the building. A few unsurprisingly and respectfully a few employees had quit after what happened. She gave them their condolences and gave them one last paycheck; she gave everyone who stayed a raise feeling terrible on it. She then dealt with the press on what happened and calmed them down and ha meetings on it. A SI employee had been murdered after leaving the building, leaving a gruesome scene on the front door. The authorities had arrived and quickly shooed away reporters and cleaned it up, and got freaked out when they couldn’t find a trace of the culprit.

She had written up a statement on how they were dealing with what had happened and managed to direct the public away from the incident. She dealt with some paperwork while there and helped fix up the SI over there to make sure everything continued to run smoothly. Once she had finished all her work, she finally had a few days to herself. She kicked off her heels and snuggled deeper into the couch of her hotel room, grabbing the remote and turning on a movie. She undid her button up but kept it on, undoing her ponytail and threading her fingers in her hair. She let out a soft sigh as she ruffled her hair, feeling relief from taking down. She sat there watching the movie, slowly drifting to sleep as her worries drained away.

The next day she got ready in casual clothing and set off out of her room and the hotel to enjoy herself. She was wearing high waisted jeans and a black turtle neck with blue and gray platforms, she also had a shoulder sling purse which held her necessaries. She planned her day so she wouldn’t have to deal with any work and so she could enjoy it. She had always wanted to visit Italy with Tony one day to see his roots, now that she was here, she was going to take plenty of pictures in case he was still out there. She had a massage after getting a light breakfast, went on a boat ride, went on a tour taking many pictures, and had dinner and wine in a five-star restaurant. She had gotten back to her apartment around nine and had a good day. She got comfortable for the night, taking off her clothes and relaxing in a warm bubble bath. She remerged into some flowy sleepwear and sat in a chair on the balcony facing the city. She had opened a bottle of wine, letting herself indulge in getting tipsy. She sat back and let the breeze cool her shower warm skin as she sipped her fine wine.   
The sun was already set as she sat down and a full moon was hung up near some beautifully painted stars in a purple and blue rich sky. It had been a grandiose sight and Pepper felt blessed to be able to witness it. She stood up and shuffled to the railing, leaning over it to gaze at the city below. Italy was truly beautiful, and she wished she could have gone with Tony. She smiled sadly as she pictures his joy in showing her around and treating her out. Her heart ached as she pictured him smiling softly, eyes crinkling at the edges, she imagined him giving her a tight warm hug. She took a sip of wine as she imagined him humming an Italian lullaby when he thinks she’s asleep, carding his fingers through her hair gently. She shakes her head, not trying to dwell on the past as she looks forward at the skyline, city lights dancing. It wasn’t like New York; it was bright in its own special way.

The night was perfect, and soon Pepper had forgotten about all of her responsibilities. But the night was like a rose, beautiful but sharp with poisonous barbs. The poison finally set in when she had seen movement in the corner of her eye. Quick as it appeared it was gone, so she thought nothing of it. She sipped on her wine when a bloodcurdling scream could be heard from next door causing Pepper to spit and sputter on her drink. She had dropped the glass, broken shards dancing on the floor, her white pajamas ruined as she raced inside. She looked her patio door and grabbed a gun and her repulsor watch  
.  
Sure, she had Extremis coursing through her blood but she would only use it in dire situations. Tony had managed to stabilize the virus but unfortunately there was no cure, so Pepper was stuck with it. She bustled out her room, running into the next. She body slammed into the door aiming her gun, flipping the safety off and cocking it just in case. Her heart stopped as she felt bile rise in her throat, a man was bloodied and dead on the floor, multiple bullet holes riddling his body. She quickly called the police, making sure she would have backup. She heard crying and pleas from the bedroom so she pushed down her disgust and quickly advanced. She was an Avenger, she had to be strong for the people. She was about to creep into the room when she hears and a scream and then soft whimpering. She pushes the door open, gun drawn as she takes in the scene in disgust.  
She looks on horror as sees the river a blood flowing down this woman body, a knife driven into her body. She’s holding the knife, but a man has his hands on hers, most likely forcing her to plunge the blade into herself. In her other hand the man is making her hold a gun, odd. She’s whimpering, looking at her killer in the face, fear and… acceptance on her face as she looks back down at the blade when she goes limp. The man kneeling in front of her gently sets her against the wall, making sure one of her hands are clamped tightly on the knife. It’s then Pepper realizes; he was making it look like a suicide. She takes note of the bloody pistol in her grip that seemed to be the same weapon that must’ve killed the husband. 

Horror dawns upon her, this was that killer, that rumored ghost killer. His clothes were dark and she felt sick as she noticed the red symbol painted on his back, Hydra. Of course, she runs into the Ghost while away in Rome! For Pete sake he killed someone already, it was the whole point she had shown up! She reigns herself back in and grips her gun tighter, raising it steadily. She aims on her target and takes a deep breath.

“Slowly get up, I am armed and ready to fire if necessary!” She demands.

The man tenses and raises his bloodied, gloved hands up. He slowly gets up from his crouched position. She can tell from his height and stature that he had to be a kid. Her stomach turned at the thought, she scowled. He slowly turns to Pepper, and she gasps and stumbles back in shock. He was a clone of her missing best friend, a carbon copy, except younger. He had a mask clasped around his mouth painted crimson red with a dirty gold color and strange blue accents. He scanned her up and down, blinking at her with no emotion. It couldn’t be him, she had to remind herself that. She recovered from her shock and shakily put her gun back on him, her jaw clenching.

“Stay where you are. The police on their way, if you make any attempts of resistance I will shoot!” She attempted, her voice shaking. He made no move, only cocking his head as he studied her. Dull intelligent big brown eyes that made her heart ache, yet she couldn’t look away from the torture. It’s not him, it’s not him, Tony would never, It’s not hi-  
He faltered for a moment and she nearly pressed the trigger when he swayed. His eyebrows furrowed as his eyes shone with confusion, he looked at her in recognition before it washed away. He stood straight again, eyes going blank as he stared forward.

“Identification Recognized; Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts. CEO of Stark Industries. Extremis virus using, Rescue Armor user, currently armed with several weapons. Threat Level; 10, neutralize at all cost.” He stated in a monotone voice, like he had a list projecting in front of him. Pepper wanted to yell as he pulled data on her and said her name like that. It left a bad taste in her mouth and a cold sensation on her skin. The kid eyes shifted as he said the last part and suddenly, he threw a metal ball on the floor and ran at the window door to the balcony. He crashed through it, jumping off the balcony and all too late Pepper realized what he had dropped.   
It was a bomb.

If Pepper wanted to be honest, she wished she hadn’t woken up after being crushed by the roof. She had been awoken by firemen as they tried to move a support beam off her body. She would’ve screamed in dull numb pain if she wasn’t so out of it. She gets taken to the nearest hospital to recover and Rhodey and Happy fly out as soon as they hear of what happened. Apparently, word got leaked of the murder and Pepper being almost killed and the mysterious cases of murders without a trace of evidence seems to grow even larger. Pepper flat out groans when she hears of this. She was going to have to make a public statement, deal with press, talk about if she saw anything- and trust me, she saw something.

Pepper felt like she had been doused in ice cold water in below zero degree whether when she recalls what she had witnessed. She had been talking to Rhodey from her hospital bed when cold realization sunk its fangs in and dragged her body to the bottom of a freezing lake. The kid had killed that couple and tried to kill her. The kid who looked like her younger best friend had tried to kill her. And he was good at what he did, there wasn’t a trace of him in the room it was clean except from all the blood. He had to been the one causing all the deaths without evidence. God, Pepper wanted to curl up and get away from it all right then and there. What was this cruel punishment she was forced to suffer? Someone who looked like someone from her past was a crazy emotionless void of a human who orchestrated elaborate murders. And fuck he could’ve been involved with Hydra too; he had a mask and outfit almost identical to Barnes when he was the Winter Soldier.

Rhodey had caught on to her distress fairly quickly, as she had stopped talking during a recall of what happened. Her body went stiff and it physically hurt Rhodey to see the overwhelming amount of fear and distress in his friends’ eyes. Her mouth deepened into a hard frown as she clenched her fists, she closed her eyes and ran a hand into her hair, grabbing it with an iron fist. He slowly put a gentle hand on her shoulder and asked her to take some gentle and deep breathes with him. He demonstrated it and she quickly listened, holding on to his arm and the rail of the bed as she steadied herself. Once her breathing leveled and she seemed calm enough, she opened her eyes to see an alarming amount of sadness painted in sorrowful colors on her face. Her cheeks became rosy and her eyes glassy as she gripped his arm harder.

“James I am afraid. I’ve seen something truly and utterly horrible.” She confined, and it broke his heart. 

“What did you see Pep? You don’t have to answer, no one is rushing you.” He consoled, holding on to her wrist. She looked so torn, lips trembling as she tried not to cry, she couldn’t break, she mustn’t break in front of him. “Don’t call me crazy, just please. Listen to me.” She pleased, voice wavering as the glue that held indestructible Miss Potts together was melting into a sad puddle as her walls crumbled away. “I promise.” He said in honestly, giving her a nod. He would never judge Pepper, especially while she was so vulnerable and exposed. Her gripped tightened and his worst nightmare, gifted from Matt, had come true. “The man who killed them, my attacker. God James, I swear to you, I swear on my life he looked like Tony…” And then, Pepper Potts broke. Saying out loud triggered the waterfall of tears and sobs to tumble out of her as she leaned into Rhodey’s shoulder when he embraced her. He grimaced, feeling a pit of anger and soul crushing sadness wash over him.

Meanwhile, Mechanic had been informed to return to base and as he strolled through the streets of Rome, he felt a new glitch itch itself into his clothing and into his body. He swallowed harshly as scratched as his wrists, this feeling wasn’t as good as the one he felt in New York when he met the Devil. No, this glitch made he feel like he was going to vomit, he wanted to hide from his handler, he had failed. Mechanic never failed, surely his Handler was displeased in him and was going to punish him. He had been sloppy; he had gotten caught during his mission and failed to execute his captor. That surely would get him punished. For some off reason the mere thought of his punishment had sent shivers down his spine as he made a noise, he wasn’t familiar with. Something was wrong with Mechanic, he was glitching too much. 

He had felt something when he ran into the woman earlier, looking for his target, something soft and warm. Seeing her in his next mission made him hesitate and he never was supposed to hesitate, he would get reprimanded if he did so. He saw her and that same pleasant feeling curled into him and he felt, something bad go with it. He paused and scanned her face, pausing his search for data on her. He took in a minute to take in her beautiful face, and his gut clenched at her distress. He jolted when he realized he was stalling and quickly gathered her data and bombed her and ran. He didn’t check the scene like he was supposed to but there was in error in his plan thanks to her, he didn’t even kill her with that bomb. His Handler was going to be furious and shame had settled in him as he made the unfamiliar noise again. He realized after walking into the base and hearing the thunderous sound of his Handler screaming Russian profanities at him had he discovered the glitch.

Mechanic had been experiencing fear.

Mechanic did not like fear.

Mechanic did not like punishments.

Mechanic did not like the Chair.

Mechanic wasn’t supposed to feel, so he had been sent to the chair to get his glitching fixed, but he protested. 

Mechanic did not like pain.

Sharp pain danced across his face as he was repeatedly slapped by his handler, he stood still and took it. A hand flew to his curls and twisted painfully but he did not wince, he made no movement when a fist made contact with his nose. He was shoved to his knees and kicked in his gut repeatedly, it had been a long time since Mechanic had gotten punished. He had always done good, he did what his handler asked without complaint and served hydra well. The feeling of pain flaring to life under each kick and punch made him dizzy. He had glitched to many times, he spoke when not asked, he denied an order, what was wrong with Mechanic. Why did he glitch when he saw the woman?  
Mechanic was curled in on himself, receiving the final blow when his handler yanked him up by the hair. Blood was oozing down his face, past his lips and dripped from his chin, he looked his handler in the eye when he barked out an order.

“Mechanic! Explain why you hesitated when taking out a threat to the mission? Explain to me why you allowed her to live!” He snarled, glaring at Mechanic. Mechanic felt shame bubble up. “I glitched Sir, I’m sorry sir”

“You’re sorry?! That won’t cut it Mechanic! Why did you resist the chair?” He sneered, kicking him again. “I don’t like it, I don’t want the chair sir, please, I can do better! Just not the chair.” He pleaded, fear washing over him in a tidal wave. “Punish me sir, but please not the chair.” His handler didn’t say anything as he stared down at Mechanic. He gazed down at his broken asset and analyzed him.

A wicked smirk twisted the man’s lips upward as he let go of Mechanics hair. “Mechanic you will be spending a thirty in the chair and if you resist you will be spending a month in the white room.” Mechanic froze as he was forced to his feet and hauled through the halls to the lab. He hung his head as he was forced down and strapped to the chair. Fear curled around him like a blanket as his punishment began.

Mechanic does not like the chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed :)


	6. Rise From The Ashes

“You wanted to see me sir?” 

“Ah yes, hello Dr. Sokolov. I hope your extraction went well.” The doctor gave him a harsh look as she fixed her coat. “You call my base being raided by those pesky Avengers and having to escape with my life, Extraction? они ужасными” She snapped, her accent slipping through. Handler Morozov merely rolled his eyes as he swiveled his chair to face her.  
“Watch it Doctor, I am still higher than you.” He warned with a smirk. “I need to know, were you able to recover any of your work Doctor?” He inquired, opening a file. She watched as he scanned the paperwork, and walked closer to the desk, crossing her arms. “Yes, and what of it?” She cocked an eyebrow, eyes trailing the file. ‘Department X, Project X1, Mechanic.’ 

“I’d like to update Mechanic advancements.” He explained, focusing on the file. She looked up at him in bafflement. “What? He’s doing just fine! He’s our best asset.” “He’s deflecting, if we make more advancements he will fall easily back in line. Plus, the improvement would be vital to us.” 

She shook her head, rubbing her face with a sigh. “What would you like for me to do, Sir?” He smiled and removed a paper out the folder and handed it over. “Execute project D7” She nodded and grabbed the paper and turned. “I’ll get this done Sir.” She left before he could reply.

She scowled as she walked to the lab, looking down at her assignment. She nodded to the guards and punched in her code. She walked in and set the paper down and called for Mechanic to be extracted from his cell. Mechanic was her finest works and he’s alive and preforming exceptionally well and these advancements might fuck up her work. She couldn’t just disobey Morozov and reluctantly called for Mechanic to be extracted from his cell. She was just going to have this assignment perfect; Mechanic was going to be the best of her work and live. She was going to make sure of it.

Pepper hated dealing with scandals, they were so annoying to deal with. 

She had flown back home as soon as she could with Happy and Rhodey and started working immediately. She dived straight into work to clear this mess over or to soothe it down so she could act on the new information that was brought into her light. Apparently, Matt had already knew about Hydra Stark Jr look-a-like and Rhodey was going to tell her but she had left before he could. How ironic, that information could have been tremendously helpful.

Once she got back to the states, she avoided the public for a few weeks and wrote a public statement on she was well and the situation will soon be handled with the Avengers. She addressed how she didn’t know if this was related with the mysterious deaths since she had heard a scream and explained how she didn’t see the killers face. It had been a half lie, he was wearing a mask, but she could recognize him anywhere. Pepper wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without Happy or another Avenger in regards of safety and so the press can leave her alone.

Once all the legal issues were dealt with, she had starting talking with the Hydra twins on what she had seen. They weren’t too happy to hear this and she was convinced James was having something akin to a panic attack but she couldn’t fully tell with the neutral mask he wore. Natasha however was more open with her feeling and scowled harshly, figuratively glaring a hole into the table. The way they hid their emotions like that freaked her out, she had seen it on the kid and she hated it. She dubbed the look a like as The Kid, since she hated the thought that that human weapon somehow, is her best friend. She was in denial, but could you blame her? Once the pair had left to cool off in the training room and or their rooms, she called them back in a few hours later to discuss with this meant.

Their theories weren’t good ones. They ended up all sorrowfully agreeing their best bet was this kid was Tony yet somehow younger or it was some really freaky coincidence doppelganger. Hope had been looking into the doctor who had went missing and pulled out a few tabs. Her name was Marianna Sokolov and she had multiple PhD’s in biology and genetics and she had preformed many experiments on mutants before she fell of the face of the planet. What alarmed them was her old connection to Brock Rumlow, she used to be associates with him before she cut him out. This gave them a few ideas on where she could be hiding out, spoiler alert they went with hydra. They decided to keep this still under wraps from the rest of the team and instead just insisted they take out more Hydra bases. The team just chalked it up as them being concerned for there mystery killer and acted on their concerns. 

And that’s how Natasha ended up flopping onto the couch hissing in pain. She groaned and rechecked herself for injuries that she didn’t notice before hand. Luckily, she had bandaged all the injuries she had sustained from their mission and all she had to do was be patient and take it easy. As easy as she could take it these days with a Hydra trained teammate on the loose. She was constantly on edge looking out for Tony whenever she went out. She knew the odds of catching him out in the open were slim to none, especially if he knew she was looking, but she still kept alert. Even the slightest chance would be enough, just one mistake could help.

“You feeling alright there?” 

Natasha looked up over at Scott who was staring down at her bandaged ankle, with a worried look. She waved a hand at him as she fixed it up. “It should be fully healed soon, don’t worry about it, Scott.” He nodded and perked up. “Okay good, Steve wanted me to let you know dinner’s almost ready.” She made an acknowledging noise and he gave her a smile and walked over to the others. She sighed and slumped further into the couch, turning to James. Said man was nursing a minor slash on his arm that used to be deep gash. He was cleaning it with intent focus, probably thinking of the mission they had just returned from. They had just raided another Hydra base and got more than a few bruises, there were way more soldiers and guards at this particular base. At first, they were confused on why there were so many agents when there wasn’t anything important worth protecting at this particular base. Except there apparently was, but in the form of files. James had found tons of information on a soldier called The Mechanic and took as much as he could before getting slammed face first into the computer and he retaliated by throwing it at the attackers. He was fuming once they got out and just wanted to deceiver what the hell was so important in those files so he could take a nap. She was certain if Steve had said another word to James, he would’ve gotten stabbed, James had been antsy all week and she, honest to god, wouldn’t be surprised.

He sighed and leaned back as well once he was done, mumbling something in Russian as she turned on the television. She asked Friday to put on a movie as she started some small chat to ease his nerves before dinner. It seemed to work because soon he started to relax as they casually started conversing in Latin. 

_“I feel on edge all the time. Our horrible theory is becoming real and those monsters is using your friend Natalia.”_ He confined in Latin. She nodded, heart panging as she realized her and Tony had parted on bad terms. It didn’t feel right calling him her friend after what went down. _“Don’t worry James, were going to find him and bring him home. And were going to cut all the heads off those monsters and burn them to the ground. We will make sure of it.”_ She promised, mostly to herself. He nodded, satisfied none the less.

They continued like this until halfway through there movie, Sam had come in urging to join dinner and they got up and followed him with a few huffs. They sat down in their own seats, Natasha next to Pepper and Hope, James next to Sam and Vision. She noticed he had sat on the opposites of Sam next to Vision purposely avoiding Steve, it was probably for the best. He’s least likely to stab an android and Sam was smart enough to know when to back off, unlike Steve. 

Once everyone sat down and started digging in, they all started some light conversations with each other. It was nice to be surrounded by everyone and act like a family, an actual one. She and Tony had pretended that the original Avengers were like a family but it was always broken. She shook her head and tried to tune into the conversation at hand, sipping her juice.

“Bullshit. I thought we covered this already, Carol is the strongest on the team!” Sam chided, pointing an accusing spoon at Scott who raised his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just saying, have you seen Thor at his strongest? That is powerful!” He concluded, causing Thor to chuckle. Scott turned to him and gestured to him and to Sam. “Back me up Thor!”

Thor shook his head, biting into his food with a grin. “Man, of ants, even I, am no match for the lady Carol.” He wiped his mouth. “She has scared an entire army off with a single look once, she is one of the most, powerful people I know.” He stated, causing Scott to raise his eye brows. “Even with Strombreaker, I am not that strong. She is a very worthy opponent although.” Scott dropped his head onto the table with his hands raised.

Carol smiled and ate her food in silence, chuckling softly at the two. Hope looked up from hers giving Scott a pointed look, “See, even he agrees with Sam! Your fanboy crush won’t win, give it a rest.” Her statement caused several people to laugh while Scott turned red and shouted at her. “What, am I wrong?” “You can’t just say it hope!” She rolled her eyes, bumping her shoulder against Sharon’s. Sharon just gave a knowing nod, choking back a laugh. “Man, of Ants I am honored of your affections?” Thor bellowed; a confused grin plastered on his face. Natasha she was sure she saw Scott choke. Natasha smiled at the sight of everyone getting along again and looked down at her half-eaten food. She couldn’t believe it had been three years since things went down in civil war. 

She couldn’t believe it had been three years since she had seen Tony. She frowned as she started to think of him again, she tried not dwell on him to much but lately he was all she could think of. She and him were finally starting to get close and then she screwed up letting Steve and James go in Siberia and he went missing. She really wished she could have apologized to him before, but now she’s not so sure she might have the chance to. She excused herself once she was done and quickly shuffled to her room. She took a shower and got changed and hopped into bed, finding some relief in being in a silent room. A few hours pass of her just staring at the ceiling she finally seems to relax enough to drift off to sleep. 

**“Miss Romanoff, Boss Lady wanted me to inform you the files had been decoded and they found some peculiar stuff in them. She insists you get your rest and she’ll inform you of what she found in the morning.”** Friday suddenly whispers. Her tone is gentle but it’s enough to stir the assassin awake and alert and she huffs swinging her legs over the side of her bed. She sits there for a moment before standing. “Let her know I’m coming down FRI.” She informed, walking out before she responded. She got into the elevator and rode it up to Pepper’s personal floor.

When she got up there James and Rhodey had already been there, looking at tablets with various emotions. She shifted over to them and greeted them softly, scaring Rhodey who looked half awake and exhausted. “Good evening boys, Pep. What’s the news?” She called, sitting on the couch near Pepper, waiting expectantly. The woman turned to her and handed her a tablet. “These on files on their best weapon, The Mechanic. His missions match up with the mystery Hydra suspected killer and was in Rome during my attack.” She explained, shifting to get comfortable. “It goes into detail on why and who he has killed, and there something more interesting.” She hesitated causing Natasha to tense. “What is it?” She asked opening up the files and scanning for something that stood out. 

“Well, if were sure this kid is Tony. He wasn’t just de-aged, no there’s more. His whole DNA has been altered, forced mutations.” She explained, with a grim look. Rhodey was glaring at his tablet while James shook his head, upset. Natasha looked closer to see if they had a specific on his mutants. She found a separate file and opened it and dived head first into the rabbit hole.

_“Mechanic is showing promising signs to the advancements. His intellect is steadily enhancing from his already superior pervious status. The serum we’ve implemented in his system is working exceptionally well. His showing signs of improvement that went beyond our expectations, he seems to be better than our failed project with The Winter Soldier.”_

_“Mechanic regression in body and age has caused him to be more agile and faster than our previous soldiers. His strength is steadily increasing as well. He’s our best work, Dr. Sokolov has been a huge help in our work with Mechanic, she is too much of a valuable asset to lose. Her work is promising us perhaps even more soldiers.”_

_“We have successfully retrieved a vile of Virus EX, Sokolov has managed to stabilize it and improve it. Mechanic has been handling the virus well and seems to control the technology near him, his brain has changed drastically due to the virus for the best. He can recognize any language and can get information on anyone just by looking. He seems to be able to speak to robots.”_

_“Introducing Project X’s DNA with the Electro serum has been a huge risk but has worked well. Mechanic now is always armed with his mutations. His powers are advancing progressively better each time we test him, and he has proven he can use them well, but he is becoming more difficult to control, the chair is slowly not working. We are forced to white room him whenever he glitches.”_

Natasha looked up from the tablet in frustration. This wasn’t going to help prepare them if they had to fight him. She rubbed her face and picked the tablet again, determined to find something useful.

“This is going to be a long night, who wants coffee?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long and sorry for how short it is.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it.


	7. Action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you find any typos or mistakes please let me know!

Dr. Sokolov was not happy. She has been following orders and trying to improve her creation, only for it to cause negative impacts. His mutations are growing again to make his powers stronger, causing him large amounts of pain. He’s incapable of going out on missions and keeps getting punished for it. It’s infuriating, why should he be punished for getting better? He was perfect and Morozov was simply pushing him too much. 

She huffs as she watches him vomit from his injection, shakily trying to stand. She shakes her head and helps him up, watching him intently. He’s trying to not show weakness, but he’s shaking like a leaf as the injection burns through him. She ushers him on to the table and cleans off his youthful face, he’s waiting for punishment for making a mess and for showing weakness. “Shh, it is okay Моё идеальное творение. You did well, rest now so we can study and improve.” She soothed as he shook in fear. She simply would not punish him for being incapacitated, it was wrong. 

The more she thought about it, she wasn’t too happy being a part of this anymore. She wanted to improve mutations and control them, but this was too much. Her best creation was suffering here, she did not like it. He would vomit after each injection and soon Morozov took him off solids and gave him necessary nutrients through injects. He was getting underweight from the lack of calories and physical food and she hated it. Morozov was right though, he was deflecting more and she tested this theory. She snuck photos of his old friends in and showed them to him asking him to analyze them. He seemed fond of the woman he had failed to kill, the famous Pepper Potts. He seemed drawn to his black friend Rhodes or something. He would always stare longing at the photos but he never said a word, she would catch signs of him showing some sort of emotion but he’d quickly hide it. He reminded her of the Widow divisions, they weren’t brainwashed but strictly were spies who weren’t allowed to feel.

She brought up to Morozov that it would be beneficial if he was exposed to more things and act more like the Wolf Spiders. Morozov wasn’t pleased with the idea and nearly hit her, but calmed down and thought it threw and decided they’d test it; and if it didn’t work, he would go back to the white room and spend extra time with the Chair, which was stupid since with his newest advancement the chair no longer worked. She hated the compromise but agreed, it would mean Morozov would back off at least a small bit. All she had to do was work harder so Mechanic could improve for the better, she had to be sure of it. She executed Division X and ordered a soldier to train with Mechanic, she watched in glee as his powers skyrocketed. She had gotten Morozov to give him proper food again but he limited it so he’d be given the needed amount and no more. It was something, but her Mechanic was still in thin shape and it wasn’t boding well. 

Still, she accepted it and started Project Wolf whenever Morozov allowed it. She had started exposing him to new stuff to increase his curiosity and to help him grow. She mainly made him create new stuff, Mechanic would see the materials and start to make weapons of all kinds, and Morozov seemed to be pleased by it. In fact, he dropped off some stolen vibrainium and handed it to the assassin and told him to create himself something she couldn’t hear. How Morozov got his hands on vibrainium would forever boggle her mind. She watched as Mechanic took mere weeks to make something, incredibly advanced and breathtaking. It was striking and a work of art of engineering, it resembled his old armor before Hydra way too much and Morozov was both proud and upset. He was wiped again but rewarded for his creation and she made sure to praise him once he was back in her care.

She had an odd routine with Mechanic, she found herself praising him more and caring for him as much as she could. She felt strangely proud when he created assignment spider and had a realization. She had grown very fond of Mechanic treated him with too much care, she was attached. How could she not, he was her best creation, he might as well be her son.

She noticed he was starting to feel safe in the lab, his training for division wolf seem to take most activity in here more than often. He showed how curious he was when she worked with her other creations whenever he was in, he was always in the lab. Whenever he had free access out his cell he’d always be in the lab or training room or outside. He chose the lab the most often and watched her work. She didn’t mind, she liked showing him her work and taught him what she was doing. She started to secretly train him in whatever she could teach, he was a quick learner, and from what she saw he enjoyed them. Morozov didn’t improve but she just explained it was good for him to be able to stitch up his own wounds so they can heal even faster and correctly and he backed off.

She strapped him to the table and monitored his vitals while his injection ran its course. “Моё идеальное творение. Afterward, this is done we must run more tests.” She said softly, running her hand through his hair. She realized she didn’t like her job that well and she wanted to help her creation grow, safely. She walked over to a different table, a plan forming. She quickly typed something out, checking it quickly before she was satisfied with it. “Mechanic, send this out to location 80405 and make it untraceable. Delete the message as soon as it gets soon out so no one can find of existence except its receiver. Understood?” She commanded, watching him intently. His eyes shot open and she watched his eyes glow bright blue as he did what was asked. “Yes, Ma’am.” He complied. She watched her computer flash the same color of his eyes and soon her note was gone. She smiled before deleting it from the server entirely. 

She grinned and walked over to the table. “Don’t worry Mechanic, soon things will get better for you. If I’m lucky I will be joining you.” She promised before hooking up his sedates. He looked up in confusion before he drifted to sleep. “Hopefully for your sake, I will join you.” She mumbled looking down at the sleeping soldier.

00000

 _“Boss Lady, it appears that you have just received an email from an untraceable source. I have scanned it for anything dangerous like asked and it seems urgent.”_ Friday spoke suddenly, startling Pepper.  
She sighed and ran a hand over her face, she had been up late with the group looking out for anything that could help then with Tony. They had gotten some clues on where he was and how his mutations work but it was all hypothetical and it made her anxious on how little she knew. She had to take multiple breaks so she wouldn’t burn the couch she was sitting on. 

“Got an idea what it's about Fri?” She asked, scanning her papers scribbling out a number. Friday was silent before speaking up again, her tone serious and grave. “It seems to be about our infamous Mechanic Ma’am.” Pepper’s pen stopped dead as she looked up into a camera in shook. “send it to my computer instantly and get the Hydra Twins and Rhodey.” She quickly turned back to her computer, her skin crawling once she hears the ding. She opens her email and stares at the simple thing.

_We should chat. I’m sure you know about Mechanic – Doc_

Pepper took a deep breath and opened it while Natasha walked in. She looked confused and gestured to the ceiling. “Friday said it was urgent, what’s up? Also, the boys aren’t coming.” She informed while Pepper made a gesture to the chair closest to her chair. “Someone emailed me about Mechanic who we are assuming is Tony and I’m going to read it.” She saw the assassin go tense in the corner of her eye but she simply nodded for Pepper to continue. She took a deep breath and looked at the email and opened her mouth to read it out.

_“Dear Miss Potts, I am aware that you and your band of heroes have raided my old base. I was mad at this but now I see this is perfect. I 78% certain you have found the files on Mechanic and have found out his true identity based on his mission reports. Your guesses are correct, Mechanic is a young Anthony Edward Stark. With some messing around with DNA, I have found a way to alter the super-soldier serum and make it so it didn’t just make his life longer but make him in fact younger._

_His mutations, in case you were wondering, include DNA from Wolverine, he also has the Extremis virus. There were remaining amounts left in Tennessee that you hadn’t destroyed so we used it accordingly. He is now a technopath who has cat-like claws inside him.  
Why am I telling this to you? Well you see, I know you want Mechanic back and I want you to have him. He is my best creation and I want the best for him, for I have grown fond of him. The only way you can get him is to have someone on the inside help you extract him. And besides, he would not survive in your care without my help, you wouldn’t know how to handle him. Handler Ivan Morozov will not let him go easily and I would like to leave this horrible place._

_So, in exchange for Mechanic I would like to be provided safety. From Hydra and the UN, I know I have done wrong but I am willing to change, but if I get thrown in jail after helping Mechanic escape, he won’t adjust well. Mechanic has been commissioned in a way that entirely different than what Hydra has ever done before. He is different from the Winter Soldier and Black Widow and needs to adjust accordingly or he won’t be able to function as a human ever again.  
So, I’m willing to help Mechanic escape and get better and after he is well, I can go to prison if it makes you feel safer that way. I have grown fond of Mechanic I simply want the best for my creation. If you agree to my terms, meet me on the outskirts of Moscow, 20115 north on the eighteenth of this month. We can meet up to discuss if we will commence in this plan, I cannot risk our communication through email so we must meet in person._

_Until then Madam._

_Heads up, Mechanic burned the transmitter so you can’t trace the address. If you come barreling into the base, they’d move Mechanic and be suspicious. So, don’t attempt it.  
-Dr Sokolov “ _

Pepper stared at her screen in mild disbelief. Sounded way too good to be true, and if it was real was, she really willing to take that risk? She leaned back in her chair; it was the doctor they had been looking too. If she met up with this woman, she’d be putting her life at risk, but she might get Tony back. Although she could have been lying and luring her to gain her trust and kill her.  
“I’ll go and check it out to make sure she’s telling the truth. You can come and drive the Quinjet since she sent it to you, but you were recently attacked already and your taking care of a company so your safety is important.” Natasha suddenly said, making Pepper looking up. “Natasha, you could get hurt!” She exclaimed, about to protest but she held up her hand and shook her head. “Exactly. I can handle taking on multiple people, besides it be better for you to be safe. I suggest me and James come with you and I walk in first and you accompany me and James stays behind for backup.” She explained.

Pepper sat back and thought about it, it was a good plan in the long run. Pepper was important to the media and SI would have a huge downfall if anything happened to her. She sighed, tapping her chin in thought, nodding after a few minutes. “Yeah, alright. That would be our best course, but you should wear something to protect yourself just in case.” She insisted. “I’d hate for you to get hurt on my behalf.” She confessed, scribbling down the date in her calendar. She looked up to see Natasha giving her a small twitch of the lips which counted a small, and a fond look in her eyes. “Thank you, Miss Potts, I appreciate the concern.”

“Oh please, call me Pepper. I’d say we're close enough, and I know how you really feel about this situation.” She stated, making her give the CEO an odd look. Pepper gave her a playful eye roll, pressing her palms on the desk as she smiled at the spy. “You’ve been trying non-stop to get us leads and no matter how hard you try to hide your emotions I know you're beating yourself up about his disappearance dear.” She smoothed out her papers and neatly stacked them. 

“That is why you turned yourself in, correct? I know you feel guilty about letting Rogers and Barnes go to the airport. And, yes, I’m still mad about your double-crossing tendencies, but you are trying to be better and find Tony. I can admire that Miss Romanoff.” The spy looked at her for a minute. She looked conflicted before she shook her head with a smile. “If I can call you Pepper, you can call me Natasha.” She mushed, looking back up at her softly. Pepper smiled at this and gave her a nod in response. She clasped her palms shut together and hummed, looking at her computer. 

“So, it’s settled.”

“Indeed.”

“Mark your calendar then, it looks like we have a date in Russia.”

Natasha nodded, pulling out her phone to probably write it down. She swiftly stood, flashing Pepper a polite smile before she turned to the door. “I’ll update James on our plan, you should inform the colonel on what we’re doing. Chat with you later Miss Potts.” She said over her shoulder. Pepper nodded, turning in her chair, rolling her eyes. “Pepper! And I will.” She called back, shaking her head softly. She sighed and focused back on her work, telling Friday to call her intern Peter up so they could get stuff done.

Pepper felt a bit uneasy as the jet landed near their meeting spot. She took a few deep breaths, calming herself down as the engines shut off. She stood up and smothered out her outfit, nodding to James who opened the door for her and Natasha who was piloting. She unbuckled herself and walked over to Pepper, walking out in front of her. She stood near the door and scanned the area, a blank expression before she nodded to herself, yelling over her shoulder. “Coast clear!”

Pepper climbed out the jet with grace, the ground crunching underneath his feet. James climbed out after her and closed the door, tapping the door twice making it invisible. “I’ll be here waiting for you two, be careful.” He said solemnly, tightening his hold on his gun. Pepper nodded, giving him a tight smile as she patted his arm. She turned to Natasha and nodded, walking towards the house. 

They had landed near a road in the woods, the very outskirts like Sokolov said. They trekked up a little way up a hill and approached the house. Once on they were on the porch, Natasha pulled out a gun and put herself in front of Pepper and knocked on the door. Pepper braced herself for any surprise attacks, hand clutching her pager tightly. The door clicked and she saw Natasha tense, the door slowly opened revealing a lean, tall woman. She had wavy long brown, reddish hair with bright blue eyes and speckled skin. She looked at the two quizzically behind her glasses, leaning out glancing around before moving back and opening it wider.

“Come, let’s discuss.” She stated; her accent heavy on her words. Natasha lowered her gun but kept it in her grip as she strolled in the cabin, high alert. Pepper followed her in, taking in the cabin. Red and black wallpaper, dark brown wooden floors, white couch and chairs with a small tv. She didn’t have much décor but it was kind of lovely. Pepper took a seat on the couch, Natasha sitting down next to her, knees pressed close together. Natasha dropped the gun in her lap and rubbed her palms together as she watched Sokolov like a hawk. Pepper noticed this was the closest the two had ever been, she knew it was optimal for her protection but it was nice.

“So, I see you brought an accomplice along. I suspected you would, ladies would you care for anything.” She called from the kitchen, brewing herself coffee. Pepper turned to Natasha who was watching the woman cautiously before turning to Pepper, giving her a nod. “Tea, please.”

A few moments pass and Sokolov handed a tea to Pepper and sat down across from them, taking a swig from her coffee and then setting it down on the coffee table. “Alright, let’s discuss why you two are here. Mechanic.” Pepper leaned forward; hands balled together as she gave the doctor a blank stare. “If you are telling the truth, how would we successfully get you both out of there? And if we take you with us, we need confirmation that you won’t harm any of our family, Marianna?” She asked, glaring harshly at the doctor.   
Marianna leaned back in her chair, swirling her drink in her hand, unaffected by her anger. “I do not wish to hurt anyone, I am not a particularly, hostile woman. Sure, my experiment methods as a scientist are questionable but I do not want to hurt your team. I wish to cut myself from the vines of this cursed organization. Joining Hydra is something I am no longer proud of, and I am afraid to be a part of it anymore. Mechanic is a product of my mistake and I cannot stand by and watch Morozov become greedy and push him to death.” She confessed, sighing as she leaned forward and put the mug back down. She tapped on the glass, running her other hand through her hair. “I also do not feel safe, sure I am valuable to them as a scientist, but I keep withstanding the brunt of aggression.”

Marianna pulled her hair back that was covering the left side of her face, Pepper winced when she saw it. Her eye was bruised, dark and sullen from the blunt force of some kind, her cheek was bloodied and gross looking. “I did not have time to fix myself up before you came to visit. This occurred today when I stood up against Morozov for Mechanic.” She explained, covering her left side back up.

Pepper suddenly stood, causing both women to look at her in alarm, she mentally cursed herself for moving so suddenly. “Sorry, Nat let’s talk outside really quick.” She didn’t stay to hear her response and walked out. Once she got to the porch she started pacing, thinking for a minute turning to the door when Nat emerged from the door. She closed the door and turned to Pepper, letting her mask down as she gazed at her confused. “What do you think? I mean, she’s our strongest lead to Tony and she doesn’t seem like a threat. And she seems like she just wants to leave. Sure, we’d have to keep a very close eye on her and stuff but…” Pepper sighed, gesturing wildly during her rant as she trailed off, running her hands through her hair.

Pepper stopped pacing when Natasha put her hands on her shoulders. “Pepper, take a deep breath.” She obliged, calming down. She slumped a bit and realized just how frustrated she was. She just really, really wanted her best friend back, even if he wasn’t Tony anymore. Natasha frowned and gently pulled her over to the porch swing bench and sat them both down. “Hey, just take it easy. Sokolov or not were going to get him back. I’m not going to let them continue to dig their claws into him like a chew toy and throw him away once he doesn’t meet their expectations.” She promised, her hand gently squeezing her shoulder. Natasha took a deep breath and gave her a nod. “We _will_ get him back.”  
Pepper smiled, softly thanking her. “I think we should do it, but on the condition that we make her a floor to herself with a grace period of a year. We can’t risk the lives of our friends for Tony, he- “She sighed. “He wouldn’t want that. So, we get her a floor, get them out of there and go from there.” Natasha nodded, patting her back. “I’m down with it.” She then frowned and looked away. “This means we have to update the team on what we’ve been doing these past months.”

Pepper scowled but nodded, sighing as she shook her head. “It was only a matter of time before we had to. They’re going to be mad but I hope they understand, but for now.” She stood up and helped Natasha up who thanked her. “Let’s plan to get him back.” Natasha smiled and nodded, walking back in with Pepper trailing her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh BOY! Hello again! It's Rory here, with another very late ass update!
> 
> Ha, so funny story! I lost all motivation for this for a solid good couple of months, I'm still fighting for it. I was super motivated with this fic before the tragic incident where I lost all my files with my pre-written chapters. (I write extra chapters in advance to keep the motivation going strong, but that backfired when I lost them.)
> 
> Anyhow, I was super bummed out for the LONGEST time, and then new movies came out, I got more and more distracted and I just couldn't write for a while. (I also lost stuff for SDGW But I managed to get some motivation back fro that one since it requires a lot less effort)
> 
> I swear I'll put more effort into updating this fic as well, It's just going to take more time since I don't have every chapter I lost. Please bare with me, since with the Rona, I have to take school online now. I really hope you guys understand and I'll do my best to do more! (Hopefully, now that it's almost summer again I'll have more free time.)
> 
> Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope your days going well! If not, I hope tomorrow goes better for you!  
> Stay Safe, Stay Inside, and Stay Hydrated! :)


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